DACA Instruments MicroInjector is a small injection molding machine that quickly and efficiently produces parts using a maximum of 4 cc (0.14 oz) of material. The simple yet powerful design will process commodity thermoplastics, making the MicroInjector suitable for prototyping and small production runs. The tall configuration of the mold lends itself to producing standard tensile test bars and other long parts that must be injected from the end of the part. Other applications include the production of mechanical and rheological test samples, color testing, and small experimental parts.

The low volume of material required and the ease of operation coupled with the low tooling cost, make this instrument ideal for the research and development of new and exotic polymeric materials. The temperatures of the mold and barrel are precisely controlled to allow processing of materials from room temperature to 400 °C. The mold can be heated to 250 °C or cooled below room temperature to process materials with low melting points.

The instrument consists of a heated block to support the conical, self clamping mold and a heated barrel. The barrel can be easily removed from the frame to be manually filled with powders or pellets. More importantly, the barrel is designed to be easily filled with the melt extruded from DACA Instruments MicroCompounder, creating a powerful materials development system.

The injection piston is pneumatically driven by a large, 10 cm (4 inches) bore cylinder. This unit can deliver up to 7000 N (1570 pounds) of force to the molten polymer for injection into the mold cavity (@ 8.6 bar (125 psi) air pressure). A separate pneumatic cylinder is used to manually eject the mold at the completion of the each cycle.

Molds must be ordered separately and can be selected from the standard designs. Custom molds can also be manufactured.